Many speakers were bothered by the potential of additional congestion along County Road 484, which in that area is already slowed by traffic bound for Interstate 75, as well as the project’s impact on Southwest 20th Avenue Road, the deteriorating main approach to SummerGlen and the Maro site.

Tillman said a traffic study of the area would be done, and he expected more details about volume and future improvements would emerge.

He acknowledged at one point that Southwest 20th Avenue Road could not handle the traffic generated by his project. Tillman said he believes the road would need to be repaved with shoulders and turn lanes added.

Foes also discussed concerns about the increased traffic effect on access for public safety vehicles, and wondered whether response times would suffer as the local population increased.

The Maro plan does include a secondary entrance for emergency vehicles.

Residents of SummerGlen, an age 55-plus gated community of 984 homes, also advocated for a wall to partition their houses from Maro’s project.

Some were worried children might trespass onto SummerGlen’s golf course and get injured. Others added concerns about noise emanating from the new site.

To that end, many speakers pushed the commission to make the Maro site an age-restricted community.

Tillman told the board the developer would probably resort to a fence, similar to what SummerGlen has now.

Maro also was not opposed to catering to older buyers, Tillman said, and he personally agreed with age restrictions in principle in order to complement SummerGlen, a comment that drew applause from some in the crowd.

Yet, he added, Maro did not want its hands tied by the zoning change.

Tillman and Commissioner Kathy Bryant, who represents the area, also worked to quell complaints that Maro planned to install mobile homes or low-income housing.

Many wanted to know what price homes inside the Maro community would fetch.

Tillman repeatedly assured the audience that mobile homes would not be going in at the 221-acre site, which sits just west of the CR 484 exit on I-75.

They would be standard, site-built single-family homes, he said. But how luxurious they turn out to be would, again, be Maro’s decision, he added.

Tillman suggested that Maro would do a market study to ascertain what size house and price level to shoot for.

He noted that the developer would implement deed restrictions and create a homeowners association to oversee the community.

Other speakers raised the issue of need.

They questioned the wisdom of building such a huge project when, for instance, Marion County tops the nation in foreclosures.

Commissioners explained that the homes could be built there regardless because the property had been approved for residential development years ago.

Chairman Carl Zalak explained that the developer’s request to build what is known as a planned-unit development, as Maro proposes, results in a “much better project and a much better neighborhood” because issues like those raised Wednesday get resolved ahead of time.

Tillman explained that the deal between long-time Ocala builder Marco Polo and Maro hinges on the zoning change.

He has said previously that Maro believes Marion’s housing market is rebounding.

The engineer noted at the end of the meeting that he appreciated the issues raised by critics because they were “legitimate.” He also promised to meet with SummerGlen residents to provide Maro’s response.

Commissioners agreed to hold the final hearing next month, but did not set a definite date.

The commission normally conducts zoning hearings on the third Tuesday of the month, but that would likely change because board members want to attend a meeting of the Cabinet, which will decide where to locate a new nursing home for aging military veterans.

Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet are expected to locate that 120-bed, $17-million facility in either Marion or St. Lucie counties.

<p>A proposed land-use change that would help introduce a nearly 800-home subdivision into southwest Marion County has been tabled for a month.</p><p>The County Commission on Wednesday granted the developer's request to wait until September to vote on the zoning change.</p><p>David Tillman, an Ocala engineer working with Maro Real Estate LLC on the project, sought the delay at the board's zoning meeting in order to gather more information about objections to the project.</p><p>Tillman told the board he wanted an opportunity to discuss with Maro concerns rising from the adjacent SummerGlen subdivision about the planned 748-home mixed-use community.</p><p>While the crowd was noticeably disappointed by the delay, commissioners allowed critics to air their complaints so Tillman could relay those to his Palm Beach Gardens-based client.</p><p>In general, the numerous critics who spoke at Wednesday's two-hour hearing expressed concern about increased traffic, trespassing and declining property values.</p><p>Many speakers were bothered by the potential of additional congestion along County Road 484, which in that area is already slowed by traffic bound for Interstate 75, as well as the project's impact on Southwest 20th Avenue Road, the deteriorating main approach to SummerGlen and the Maro site.</p><p>Tillman said a traffic study of the area would be done, and he expected more details about volume and future improvements would emerge.</p><p>He acknowledged at one point that Southwest 20th Avenue Road could not handle the traffic generated by his project. Tillman said he believes the road would need to be repaved with shoulders and turn lanes added.</p><p>Foes also discussed concerns about the increased traffic effect on access for public safety vehicles, and wondered whether response times would suffer as the local population increased.</p><p>The Maro plan does include a secondary entrance for emergency vehicles.</p><p>Residents of SummerGlen, an age 55-plus gated community of 984 homes, also advocated for a wall to partition their houses from Maro's project.</p><p>Some were worried children might trespass onto SummerGlen's golf course and get injured. Others added concerns about noise emanating from the new site.</p><p>To that end, many speakers pushed the commission to make the Maro site an age-restricted community.</p><p>Tillman told the board the developer would probably resort to a fence, similar to what SummerGlen has now.</p><p>Maro also was not opposed to catering to older buyers, Tillman said, and he personally agreed with age restrictions in principle in order to complement SummerGlen, a comment that drew applause from some in the crowd.</p><p>Yet, he added, Maro did not want its hands tied by the zoning change.</p><p>Tillman and Commissioner Kathy Bryant, who represents the area, also worked to quell complaints that Maro planned to install mobile homes or low-income housing.</p><p>Many wanted to know what price homes inside the Maro community would fetch.</p><p>Tillman repeatedly assured the audience that mobile homes would not be going in at the 221-acre site, which sits just west of the CR 484 exit on I-75.</p><p>They would be standard, site-built single-family homes, he said. But how luxurious they turn out to be would, again, be Maro's decision, he added.</p><p>Tillman suggested that Maro would do a market study to ascertain what size house and price level to shoot for.</p><p>He noted that the developer would implement deed restrictions and create a homeowners association to oversee the community.</p><p>Other speakers raised the issue of need.</p><p>They questioned the wisdom of building such a huge project when, for instance, Marion County tops the nation in foreclosures.</p><p>Commissioners explained that the homes could be built there regardless because the property had been approved for residential development years ago.</p><p>Chairman Carl Zalak explained that the developer's request to build what is known as a planned-unit development, as Maro proposes, results in a “much better project and a much better neighborhood” because issues like those raised Wednesday get resolved ahead of time.</p><p>Tillman explained that the deal between long-time Ocala builder Marco Polo and Maro hinges on the zoning change.</p><p>He has said previously that Maro believes Marion's housing market is rebounding.</p><p>The engineer noted at the end of the meeting that he appreciated the issues raised by critics because they were “legitimate.” He also promised to meet with SummerGlen residents to provide Maro's response.</p><p>Commissioners agreed to hold the final hearing next month, but did not set a definite date.</p><p>The commission normally conducts zoning hearings on the third Tuesday of the month, but that would likely change because board members want to attend a meeting of the Cabinet, which will decide where to locate a new nursing home for aging military veterans.</p><p>Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet are expected to locate that 120-bed, $17-million facility in either Marion or St. Lucie counties.</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 352-867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>